Virgin mogul offers to help student bomb hoaxer

Virgin chairman Richard Branson today offered to step in to help British student Samantha Marson, who found herself facing jail after joking that she was taking a bomb on to a plane in the United States.

Speaking from his home in Poland, Marson said: "I did have a telephone call from Richard Branson who said that he was abroad but he had picked up this story about my daughter and he felt very sorry that she had had so much stress with this.

"He said if I needed any help, financial help or air tickets, he would be very happy to provide it.

"He said he was doing it not as Richard Branson, the owner of an airline, but as Richard Branson as a father."

Samantha faces 15 years in jail after joking to airport security officials that she was taking bombs aboard a BA flight from Miami to London.

She spent four nights in jail before being freed on bail, pending a court appearance on February 6.

Samantha has been charged with making a false bomb report.

Marson said: "Richard Branson is a very important guy and it's amazing that he can take an interest in my daughter making a silly remark in America.

"I think that is fantastic. I think he must be a wonderful humanitarian."

Marson, a teacher, said his daughter wanted to come home.

It is understood that lawyers and officials are trying to negotiate a deal, so Samantha does not break the terms of her bail by leaving the United States.

"She has had enough, she wants to come home. But even if she overcomes the legal problems, she doesn't know if her air ticket is valid, so I may have to get back to Richard Branson," Marson said.

A spokesman for Branson said: "Richard called as a father having seen the press reports just to see if he could help with flights if the family decided to go over and visit Samantha while she was awaiting trial.

"He has a daughter of the same age as Samantha and understood what the family must be going through while they are so far apart."